Mark Ronson

"Just look at somebody like Quincy Jones, who was playing with Duke Ellington when he was 13, but then also took two years out of his life when he was in his 30s to go study music theory with this amazing French woman that studied with Stravinsky. So, I think that's the problem today with a lot of producers and musicians, because in the ProTools era, you can do everything. If you can play mediocre-ally you can get by, because you can just play two bars and loop it up." - Mark Ronson

His sister Samantha might be more famous for her past relationship with Lindsay Lohan, but Mark Ronson is actually worthy of your attention. Though best known as a celebrity DJ, Mark Ronson has recently managed to establish himself as a respected music producer, thanks to his work with such artists as Christina Aguilera, Macy Gray and Amy Winehouse. He’s also stepped out as an artist in his own right thanks to his two albums, Here Comes the Fuzz and Version, with the latter garnering the burgeoning superstar a BRIT Award for Best British Male Solo Artist.

MAGNETISM

Though his love life has remained low-key in comparison to that of his sister Samantha’s (i.e., her now-defunct relationship with Lindsay Lohan), Mark Ronson’s ongoing proximity to the rich and famous has resulted in a number of couplings with some pretty hot and famous ladies. Mark Ronson’s first public relationship was with former Office star (and daughter of Quincy Jones) Rashida Jones, which ended in 2003. Mark Ronson has since been spotted with British model Daisy Lowe, British drummer Tennessee Thomas and French actress Josephine de la Baume. Given that he’s been described as “just a nerdy kid” by his sister Samantha, that’s a pretty impressive feat.

SUCCESS

Along with DJ AM and Tiesto, Mark Ronson has deftly secured a place for himself as one of the most recognizable DJs on the planet. His spinning skills have long since made him a favorite among the inner circle of Hollywood’s elite, though Mark Ronson’s desire to be known as more than just another celebrity DJ eventually led him to branch out and create his own music. To that end, Mark Ronson has, over the course of his two albums, collaborated with some of the most innovative people within the music industry, and his songs have appeared in a myriad of commercials, television shows and movies. In addition to his three Grammy awards, Mark Ronson was also named one of the Top 10 Most Stylish Men in America by GQ in their February ’09 issue.

Mark Ronson Biography

Mark Daniel Ronson was born on September 4, 1975, in London, England. He spent the first eight years of his life residing in London along with his two sisters, Charlotte and Samantha. When his parents divorced, he moved to New York City with his mother and sisters.His mother eventually went on to marry Foreigner founding member Mick Jones. We're guessing that's where his interest in music began.

After attending New York’s prestigious Collegiate School, Mark Ronson tried his hand at the post-secondary landscape by attending both Vasser College and New York University, yet it was his interest in music that eventually came to dominate his day-to-day life. By 1993, Mark Ronson had established himself as an up-and-coming DJ within New York’s club scene and was making around $50 per gig.

mark ronson signs with elektra records

It only took a few years before Mark Ronson had become one of the city’s most sought-after DJs. It didn't hurt that he also appeared in a commercial for Tommy Hilfiger Jeans. His work as a DJ eventually got him noticed by British singer Nikka Costa, and he played an instrumental role in the behind-the-scenes creation of her song “Everybody Got Their Something.” Mark Ronson’s reputation as a reliable and consistently innovative musician inevitably resulted in a contract with Elektra Records, and he spent the early part of this century working on his first album.

Entitled Here Comes the Fuzz, Mark Ronson’s 2003 debut proved that the celebrity DJ had serious street cred. He played the majority of instruments on its 13 tracks and managed to elicit appearances by such well-known musicians as Rivers Cuomo, Jack White and Nate Dogg. The album wasn’t exactly a huge seller, but it did expand Mark Ronson’s notoriety beyond New York City and eventually proved instrumental in the creation of his own label, Allido Records, just a year later.

mark ronson puts out version

In 2007, Mark Ronson scored the biggest hit of his career after he collaborated with Australian singer Daniel Merriweather on a cover of The Smiths’ “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.” The song eventually reached No. 2 on the UK singles charts, which made the critics pay more attention to Mark Ronson’s second album, Version. and the disc ultimately landed the DJ some of the best reviews of his career (with NME praising the record’s “irresistible sense of fun”).

mark ronson takes home three grammys

That same year, Mark Ronson cleaned up at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards when he took home three trophies -- including two for his work with Amy Winehouse on her lauded album Back to Black. Mark Ronson spent the rest of 2007 and much of 2008 touring in support of Version, and he’s currently working with iconic ‘80s band Duran Duran on their 13th studio album. Famous for being famous? We'll leave that to his sister.